General News
31 March, 2026
Quaid Rd workers reunite
WORKERS who built Quaid Rd between Lake Mitchell and Wangetti have gathered to reminisce on the 32km-long project.
Site foremen, engineers, surveyors, machine operators, truck drivers and labourers – some of whom hadn’t seen each other for nearly 40 years – gathered at the Mount Molloy pub to swap stories and fond memories.
Contrary to popular belief, the road was not illegal, having been given approval by the state government in the early 1980s and it was intended to provide all-weather access from a residential subdivision at Lake Mitchell to Wangetti, a distance of 32km.
The road was constructed using private funds and local contractors to the requisite standard at the time, but before the road was completed, the federal government used the World Heritage Properties Conservation Act 1983 to prevent the road from being opened. It was finished in 1989, however, it has never been open to the public.
Member for Cook David Kempton, who hosted the gathering, said it was “important that we do not lose sight of the endeavours of the people who put so much blood, sweat and tears into this iconic and significant piece of infrastructure.” He said he hoped that one day it would open as an alternative route from the coast to the Tablelands.
